Crossing-signal.



L. S. BRACH.

CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4. m2.

Patented M211. 7, 1916.

LEON S. BEACH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CROSSING-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1916.

Application filed January 4, 1912. Serial No. 669,432.

ing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crossing-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway crossing signals and has particular relation to that type of signals wherein the operation is determined or effected by the passage of the railway vehicle along the track.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved visual signal of such construction that there will be a greater chance of calling to the attention of persons crossing the railway track of the fact that a train is approaching than there has been in signals of this character as hitherto constructed.

Another object is to provide a system of stationary signals with means for operating them such that the effect of movable signals will be simulated.

Another object is to so arrange and operate a plurality of stationary visual signals that the swinging of a lantern or similar visual signal will be very closely simulated.

More particularly my invention contemplates the provision of a plurality ofvisual signals located adjacent a railway crossing, some of which signals are lighted automat1- cally and maintained in lighted condition when a train enters a given section of the trackage, and others of said signals are automatically lighted and extinguished serially in alternate reverse directions whereby the swinging of a lantern is simulated.

Other objects and means of the invention more or less broad than those stated above, together with the advantages inherent, will be in part obvious and in part specifically adverted to in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts, and applications of principles constituting the present invention, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification,

and in which I have shown merely preferred forms of embodiment of various features of the invention: Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating my invention; Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of one form of circuit closing means; and Fig. 3 is a view in diagram of a difierent form of circuit closing-means.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to'the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, A and B respectively denote sections of two parallel railway tracks and C denotes a wagon road crossing said tracks, in the present instance, midway between the endsof said section's. It will be understood that the sections of the railway track shown herein are electrically insulated from the preceding .and succeeding sections.

The numeral 1 indicates a local" battery the opposite poles of which are connected to the opposite tracks of section A as by means of the wires 2 and 3, and the numeral 4 indicates another local battery the opposite ,poles of which are connected to the opposite tracks of sectionB as by means of the wires 5 and 6. I

7 and 8 respectively indicate\electromagnets, and leading from the track 9 of sec -tion B is a wire 10 which is connected with the coil of theelectrom agnet 7, and leading from the coil of the electromagnet 8 is a wire 11 which is connected with the track 12 of section B, the coils of the electromagnets 7 and 8 being connected by a wire 13. Leading'from the track 14 of the section A is wire 15 which connects with the wire 10, and leading from the track 16 of section A is a wire 17 which connects with the wire 11. It will further be seen that the electromagnets 7 and 8 are connected in series in closed circuits both circuits of which include the local batteries 1 and 4:, and the sections of the track A and B, and it will also be noted that inasmuch as electromagnets 7 and 8 are connected in series in said circuits that they will operate in unison. Associated with the electromagnets 7 and 8 are pivotally mounted armatures 18 and 19, each of which is adapted to close an operating circuit in a manner which will hereinafter be described.

20 indicates a source of current supply for the signal operating means, said source .of supply being herein shown as a dynamo,

one pole of said dynamo being grounded as at 21, and leading from the other pole of said dynamo is a wire 22 which connects with one pole of an operating motor 23, the

opposite pole of said motor being connected as by means of the wire 24 with the armature 19.

'25 and 26 respectively indicate contacts which are connected together as by means of the wire 27, said contacts having a common ground wire 28.

D denotes generally a plurality of visual signals, said signals being located adjacent the railroad crossing so as to be visible-to persons crossing the'railway tracks from either direction along the road C, each of the signals in the presentinstance as shown herein being constituted by an incandescent lamp. The end signals 29 and 30 are adapt ed to be lighted and to be maintained in lighted condition whenever there is a train upon either track of sections A and B, and theintermediately located signals 31, 32, 33, 31 and 35 are adapted to be serially lighted and extinguished in alternate reverse series. as will hereinafter be pointed out. Leading from the wire 22'is a wire 36 which leads through the lamp 29. thence through the wire 37 the circuit extends to the armature 18, and leading from the wire 3.6 is a wire 38 which leads through the lamp 30, there being'a wire 39 connecting said lamp 30 with the armature 18. It will benoted therefore that when the electromagnet T releases this armature 18, said armature 1S engaging the contact 25, will close a circuit from the dynamo 20 through both the lamps 2!) and 30 and ground. e

40 indicates a circuit closing device for the various signal lamps, the details of construction of this portion of the apparatus being more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of tlietl'raivings. This circuit closing device comprises a plurality of circularly arranged spaced contact members 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48. and -19. Contact 41 is connected with the lamp 31 as by means of the wire 50 and contact 49 is also connected with the lamp 31 as-by means of the wirefil which connects with the wire 50. Contact 42 is connected with the lamp 23 by means of the wire 52, and contact -18 is also connected with lamp 23 as by means of the wire 53-which connects with the wire Contact 43 is connected with thelainp 33 as by means of the wire 54, and contact 47 is also connected with the lamp 33 as bv means of the wire 55 which connects with the wire 54. Contact 44 is connected with the lamp 34 as by means of the wire 57 which connects with the wire 56. Contact 45 is connected with the lamp 35 as by means of the wire 58. It will be seen that contacts -11 and 49 are common to the, signal lam 31, contacts 12 and 18 are common to the lamp 32, contacts 43 and 47 are common to the lamp 33, contacts 4-1 and -16 are common to the lamp 34 and that contact is connected with the lamp Wires lead from each of the several lamps 31 to 35 inclusive to a common wire 59 which isconnected with the armature 18.

Coiiperating with the various contacts 11 to 19 inclusive is a revoluble circuit closing device GOwhich has an outstanding finger 61, adapted when the member 60 is rotated to engage said contacts in succession. The member (30 is circular and adapted to be engaged by a contact roller 62 carried by the strip (33, said strip being connected with the wire 22 as by means of the wire (34. By means of thisconstruction it will be noted that whenthe armature 18 is released by the electro-magnet 7 and engages the contact 25 that the circuit will be closed through the lamps 3-1 to 35 inclusive in alternate reverse series during the rotation of the circuit closing member 60.

In the present instance, the lamps 31 to 35 inclusive, as will be noted, are disposed between the lamps 2!) and 30 in an arcuate relation so that the progressive lighting and extinguishing lamps in as above described will simulate the swingin of a lantern and it will be noted that the lamps will be of such color as is indicative of danger, for instance red. The circuit closing device 60 is adapted to be driven by means of the motor 23.

The construction of this embodiment of my invention having been described, the operation thereof may now be understood. It will be first noted that, due to the fact that the electro-magnets 7 and 8 are in a closed circuit with the batteries 1 and 4, the armatures 18 and 19 are held in their uppermost position against the core of the magnets, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Whenevera train enters either of sections A and B, the trucks thereof will shortcircuit both the batteries 1 and 2 whereby the electromagnets 7 and 8 will be deenergized allowing the armatures 18 and 19 to engage respectively wit-h the contacts 25 and 26 whereupon the lamps 29 and 30 will be instantly lighted, and the motor 23 started. -The circuit closing member 60 which is operated by the motor 23 will thereupon be revolved so as to engage the various contacts 41 to 49 inclusive, the result being the progressive lighting in alternate reverse series of the lamps 31 to 35, as has been above explained. It is found in practice that, by maintaining the lamps 29 and 30 continuously lighted during the alternate reverse lighting of the intermediate lamps, the illusion, as of a swinging lantern. is greatly improved especially where ,said lamps 29 and 30 are of less brilliancy than the intermediate lamps. By keeping the opposite ends of the are always lighted, the extent, or length, of the are is positively defined, and the light rays from the end lamps so intermingle with the alternate bright and fading rays of the adjacent intermediate lamps, that it is difficult for the eye to perceive the distinct steps of advancement as the current is switched from one lamp to the other. The persistency of vision is materially assisted.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings this figure shows a different form of switching device for the signal lamps. This device comprises a cylinder which is adapted to be connected in circuit with the wire 22 as by means of the contact member 66 which cooperates with a ring 67 carried by the cylinder. The cylinder is provided with a spirally disposed raised portion 68 and cooperating with this raised portion are the contact members 41-&9 inclusive, these contact members corresponding to those shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Each pair of the contact members 41 and 49, 42 and 48, 4C3 and 47, 4A and 46 control one of the lamps 31, 32, 33 and 34 respectively, while the contact 45 controls the lamp 35. Therefore during the rotation of the cylinder 65 the lamps 31 and 35 inclusive will be lighted and extinguished in alternate reverse series as in the first described embodiment of my invention. The spiral member 68 upon the cylinder 65 is so disposed with relation to the contact members 42 to L9 inclusive that-immediately one of said contact members is disengaged with said member 68. the adjacent one of the series will immediately engage the same. Therefore, as one light is being extinguished the adjacent one is being lighted, the eiiect being that of a continuous light which moves in alternately reverse directions from one end to the other of the are between the lamps 29' and 30.

From the construction described it will be obvious that when a train approaches'the crossing in either direction the short-circuiting of the batteries 1 and 4 will at once set into operation the signaling system, and as soon as the sections are clear the said batteries 1 and 4; will immediately reenergize the electromagnets 7 and 8 whereupon the rising of the armatures 18 and 19 will close the circuit from the dynamo 20 to ground, thereby causing all the signal lamps to be extinguished.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to coverall of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a signal device, means for simulating the movements of a manually swung lantern, comprising illuminating means arranged in arcuate disposition, and means for illuminating successive portions of said illuminating means to and fro along the length thereof.

2. In a signal device, means for simulating the movements of a manually swung lantern, comprising a plurality of station-.

my members arranged in a row, and means for rendering said members conspicuous in series along the row.

3. In a signal device, means for simulating the movements of a manually swung lantern, comprising a plurality of stationary members arranged in a row, and means for rendering said members conspicuous in series along the row in alternate reverse directions.

4. In a signal device, means for simulating the arcuate movement of a manually swung lantern, comprising a plurality of stationary members arranged in a downwardlv mfi'ved arcuat'ei row, and means for illuminating said members in series in alternate reverse directions.

5. In a signal device, means for simulating the arcuate movements of a manually swung lantern, comprising a plurality o1": stationary illuminating members spaced apart, a plurality of other members arranged in an arcuate row extending between said first members, and means for illuminating said second members in series in alternate reverse directions along said. row.

6. In a signal device, means for simulating the arcuate movements of a manually swung lantern, comprising a plurality of stationary lamps spaced apart, means for maintaining said lamps illuminated, a plurality of other lamps arranged in an arcuate row extending between said first lamps, and means for illuminating said second lamps in series in alternate reverse directions along the row.

In testimony whereof affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Leon s. BEACH.

IVitnesses NATHALIE Tnoiurson, Momns BLAU. 

